Car pusher



B. F. SCHMIDT AND 'T. n. HEYL.

CAR PUSHER- APPLICATION FILED JAN- 17, 1921. 1,416,755. Patented y 23, 1922.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I.

suites BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SCHMIDT AND TRIPHGN D. HEYL. OF LOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA.

CAR PUSHIER.

arness.

Application filed January 17, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we BENJAMIN F. Sormnnr and TRIrHoN D. HEYL, citizens oi the United States. residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car Pushers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car pushers for manually moving railroad cars: and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which may be placed on one rail of a track and abutting one of the wheels of a car to be moved, and which by reciprocal motion of a suitable lever act on the wheel of a car to move the car along a track. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a car pusher which may be operated by a reciprocal motion of a lever and which will move forward on the rail with each reciprocal motion to follow up the wheel of a car.

Anotherobject is to provide a car pusher having an adjustable forward stroke so that a short stroke with a corresponding long leverage may be used for starting the car and a longer stroke with shorter leverage may be used'when' the car is once in motion.

Another object is to provide a car pusher in which the same force need only be applied to start the car moving as would be used in keeping it in motion.

A further object is to provide a car pusher which will automatically grip the rails when the car is being pushed but which will readily disenga e when being advanced to followup the w eel.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a View in section of acar pusher embodying the features of this invention, as seen on the line 1--1 of Figure 2. Figure 2 is a plan view oft-he car pusher. Figure '3 is a view in section of a handle for the 'car pusher.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the car pusher.

Figure 5 is a view in section as seen on the line 5-5 of Figure 6 looking downward.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the car pusher'showing it in its advanced position.

More specifically, 7 indicates a divided shoe formed to slidably engage a.- rail 8 and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 153253.

Serial No. 437,777.

adapted to slide forward thereon. This shoe comprises two separate members 9 and 10: the member 9 normally rests upon the rail and the member 10 has its under surface slidably engaging the upper surface of the member 9 and adapted to slide thereon.

The forward member 9 is )ro .*ided with an ear 11 which extends downward therefrom and is adapted to slidably engage the rail 8 on which the shoe rests. This ear is provided with a rectangular slot 12 in which is inserted a rectangular piece ol. hardened steel 14 positioned so that one edge thereof torms a tooth to engage the rail. This piece may be removed and another one ol is four edges placed outward as each edge wears. Directly opposite this ear is a cam 15 having a toothed surface 16 adapted to form,

together with the piece l l, a vice-like grip upon the rail. This cam is held'in position by a boss 17 which is an integral part of the shoe, the cam being provided with a pin 18 formed integral therewith, which is rotatably mounted in the boss. The profile of thecam is such that any-force'tending to move the shoe barkwardon the rail will cause the cam to fixedly engage the rail and also draw the piece 14. in closer contact with the rail. A coil spring 19 is provided. which is adapted to hold the cam yieldahly against the rail, one end of the spring being secured to the pin 18 and the other end fixed to a projecting portion 20 of the cam. An eX- tension l3-provides ameans of kicking the cam loose from engagement with the rail should it adhere to the rail too fixedly when a similar ear 11 and a cam 10 adapted to operate in the same manner. The forward end of the member 9 is provided with two other ears 21 and 22. which serve to guide it along the rail. Figure 5 illustrates the arrangement of the cams 15-15 and ears lll1,relative to the rail 8 when the device is in operative position on the rail.

The. forward member 9 is provided with two slide walls 23 and 24 which extend vertically upward and provide a space 25 in which some of the parts are situated. Positioned at the forward end of the member 9 is a roller 26 rotatably mounted on a pin 27 which passes from one wall to the other and is secured; therein by being driven through suitable drilled holes. This roller has its surface milled to insure traction with the rail and is adapted to rotate as the shoe is moved forward on the rail.

Another roller 28, preferably of larger diameter, is situated above this roller and its surface is also milled and frictionally engages the lower roller. Bearing slots 29 are provided in the walls 23 and 24: to hold the roller in position and permit it to rotate. These slots further permit the roller 28 to position itself upon the lower roller and to move vertically, but prevent any lateral motion thereof. This roller protrudes outward beyond the lower roller and the shoe and is adapted to frictionally engage the surface of a car wheel 30, but avoiding the flange thereof. The rear portion 10 of the shoe is provided with an extension 31 formed integral therewith and which is split to receive a rigid link 32 which is rotatably mounted thereon by a pin 33.

Pivotally mounted on another pin 34, which passes through either wall of the member 9, is a lever 35, which comprises a lower portion 36 of rectangular section and a hollow circular portion 37 which extends vertically upward a short distance and then turns at an angle to avoid any protruding parts of a car. The rectangular portion is formed with a transverse slot 38 and a lon- V gitudinal slot 39 which terminates at the wall 40, which wall is provided with a plurality of notches 41. The link 32 terminates in a transverse thrust pin 42 which rests ,upon the wall 40 which engages the notches 4:1 to position the link. The thrust pin serves as a fulcrum point for the lever 35.

When the lever is forced downward the wall. 40 acts on the thrust pin 42 to cause the link to impart the thrust to the rear member 10 of the shoe, which, tending; to remain stationary on the rail. causes the forward member to be advanced. This advanced position is shown in Figure 6. To permit of adjustment of the leverage, a flexible cable 44 is secured to this link. This cable extends upwardly through the hollow portion 37 of the lever 35 and is secured to a rack 45, which is adapted to reciprocate in the hollow portion of the lever. This rail is actuated by a pinion 46. which is rotatably mounted on the brackets 47, which are fixed to the lever. By rotating the pinion the link is raised or lowered as desired to change the point of fulcrum.

In the use of the device, the link is first positioned at the lowest point in the slots to provide a long leverage. The device is then placed upon a rail as shown in Figure 1, the roller abutting the wheel of the car to be moved. The position of the lever and the relation of the shoe to the rail is clearly shown in Ifigure 1, when the handle is in its upper position. When the lever is forced downbackward and thus the forward member 9 is advanced, forcing the roller 28 against the wheel and tending to move the car of which the wheel is a part. As the shoe moves forward the traction of the roller 26 with the rail rotates the upper roller 28, which is engaging the wheel, and tends to assist in retating the wheel.

It will be observed that much of the thrust is taken up by the large roller and the smallor roller further assuii'inggood traction with the rail. \Vith the first stroke of the lever the car is started moving Slightly and as the lever is raised to its upper position again the pinion is turned to raise the link in the slots to give a longer stroke, inasmuch as less effort is required on the second stroke and therefore a longer stroke may be made with equal effort.

When the lever is returning to the vertical position the forward cam grips the rail to prevent the forward member 9 from sliding backward and thus the link draws the rear member forward, bringing the members together. The operation is then repeated, the cams alternately holding either member to the track to prevent retrograde movement, causing" the device to creep forwardon the rail with each stroke of the lever.

Since either member is adapted to slide forward readily upon the rail the shoe may be pushed forward by pushing on the lever in case the car moves beyond the normal stroke of the shoe.

We claim:

1. In a car pusher, the conibination'of a divided shoe having a front and rear portion each adapted to slide forward on a track rail, means on either portion of said shoe to prevent retrograde movement on the track rail, a roller rotatably mounted on the front portion of said divided shoe and adapted to frictionally engage the rail and i be rotated thereby when said front portion of said shoe advances, another roller rotatably mounted on said front portion of said shoe adapted to be rotated by said first'roller and further adapted to frictionally engage a car wheel and to tend to rotate it, alever pivotally mountedto said front portion of said shoe, a rigid link engaging said rear portion of said shoe and said lever, whereby the downward movement of said lever will cause said front portion of said shoe to advance on the rail imparting a rotation to said rollers to assist in rotating the car wheel. I

2. In a car pusher, the combination of a shoe adapted to slidably engage a track rail, a roller to said shoe adapted to frictionally engage the track rail, a second roller to said shoe adapted to be rotated by said first roller and further adapted to trictionally engage a car wheel on the track rail, and means for advancing said shoe on said rail.

3. in a car pusher, the combination of a divided shoe having front and rear portion adapted to move independently forward on a track rail, means on each of said por tions to prevent retrograde movement on the rail, a lever operabl connecting each portion of said shoe to cause one portion to advance While the other portion is stationary, and a variable fulcrum to said lever.

In a car pusher, the combination of a divided shoe having a front and rear portion each adapted to slide forward on a track rail, means on said portions to prevent retrograde movement of said portions on the rail, a lever adapted to advance each portion of said split shoe alternately, a rigid link forming a fulcrum for said lever, and means for raising and lowering said link to change the fulcrum point.

A car pusher comprising a shoe adapted to be advanced on. a track rail, means for holding the shoe against retrograde movement on the rail, and means on said shoe for efiecting driving frictional engagement with the Wheel ot. a car, and means ooerable by advance movement of said shoe for effecting operation of said last named means.

6. In a car pusher, the combination of a slidable pushing lever thereon, an actuating member, and an adjustable fulcrum for said lever.

7. In a car pusher, the combination of a slidable pushing lever thereon, an actuating member, an adjustable fulcrum for said le ver, and a rotating member on said push member.

8. In a car pusher, the combination of a slidablo pushing lever thereon, an actuating member, an adjustable fulcrum for said lever, a rotating member and a rotatable thrust member on said push member.

9. In a car pusher, the combination or a rotating thrust member, an actuating member therefor, rail gripping means, and an adjustable power member.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SCHMlDT. TRIPHUN D. HEYL. 

